Today on the Trip
Wednesday, May 7, 1997
On Wednesday, May 7, was President Clinton's final full day in Mexico. He
spent
the day
at Tlaxcala and Teotihuacan before leaving for San Jose, Costa Rica in
the
evening.
Major events of the President's day included:
Mexico:
Speech at National Auditorium
Lunch with President and Mrs.
Zedillo in
Tlaxcala, Mexico
Archeological Tour at Teotihuacan,
Mexico
U.S. Embassy Staff Meet and
Greet
Costa Rica:
Arrival Ceremony, Costa Rica
Bilateral Meeting with President
Figueres
Speech at National Auditorium
President Clinton spoke at the National Auditorium before an
audience
representing a cross-section of Mexican society, including
representatives of
women's groups and non-governmental organizations, and members of the
business
community. The speech provided President Clinton an opportunity to offer
a
greater context for U.S.-Mexican relations, including the partnership the
United States and Mexico share
addressing issues such as counternarcotics, trade, migration, education
and the
environment.
Lunch with President and Mrs. Zedillo
President Clinton lunched with President and Mrs. Zedillo in Tlaxcala
(Tlass-KAH-lah), capital of the state of the same name, 50 miles east of
Mexico
City. The city boasts a charming colonial square in the city center and
is the
site of the San Francisco monastery complex, the oldest permanent
Catholic
structure in the New World (located one block from the square). The
monastery
shows Moorish influences which is unusual for a Mexican monastery.
President
Clinton is expected to receive a welcome by the people of Tlaxcala as
well as a
brief greeting from the Tlaxcalan state governor.
Archeological Tour at Teotihuacan, Mexico
President Clinton toured one of the world's most spectacular
archaeological
sites today at Teotihuacan (Tay-oh-tee-wah-KAHN). Built by a lost
civilization, the city was already abandoned before the rise of the
Aztecs.
Teotihuacan is best known for the pyramids of the sun and the moon. Only
the
great pyramid of Cheops (Egypt) and the pyramid at Cholula (also near
Mexico
City) are larger than the pyramid of the sun. The huge site (eight
square
miles) also includes the remains of numerous temples and other
buildings.
Artifacts discovered at Teotihuacan are stored at the Anthropological
Museum in
Mexico City, visited by President Clinton on Tuesday.
U.S. Embassy Staff Meet and Greet
Following an introduction by Ambassador Jim Jones, President Clinton made
brief
remarks to the staff of the American Embassy in Mexico City. The embassy
is
one of the largest in the world, and is supported by many U.S. federal
departments and agencies.
Arrival Ceremony, Costa Rica
Upon arrival at Juan Santa Maria International Airport, President and
Mrs.
Clinton were welcomed by President and Mrs. Maria Figueres, Foreign
Minister
Fernando Naranjo, and a contingent of Costa Rican schoolchildren.
Bilateral Meeting with President Figueres
President Clinton met with President Figueres to discuss and reaffirm the
commitment the United States and Costa Rica have to cooperating on issues
such
as counternarcotics, hemispheric free trade, and the environment. The
meeting
was also an opportunity for President Clinton to salute President
Figueres'
strong regional leadership role and to thank him for hosting the regional
summit.
Tuesday, May 6, 1997
President Clinton's Trip to Mexico, Costa Rica, and
Barbados
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